Live With What You Have (Book 1)
by PrincessWithHalfAHeart
Summary: When Merlin and Adrielle move to Camelot to live with their uncle, they never expected the chain of events that would soon follow. To discover that their magic is outlawed, save the prince and become his manservant, and someone seems to fall for someone way out of their league. What can these two twins do to keep their heads above the water and off of the chopping block? Book 1!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hi guys! I'm so excited to get this story on it's feet! You have no idea! I'm going to try and write this story in tandem with the TV show Merlin. I write it as a chapter per episode, more or less, but the episodes themselves will probably be split up into multiple chapters. This chapter/episode seriously had 14,000 words when I had finished! So yeah the episodes will come in multiple installments of chapters. If that makes sense. Also each season will probably have it's own book. So part 2 of episode 1, tThe Dragon's Calling, will be up shortly! I might update tomorrow. I dunno if there will be any hits/reviews between now and then, but oh well! If you're reading this I sincerely hope you enjoy!**_

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_The Dragon's Call: Part 1_

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Adrielle questioned from behind as her brother led the way through the forest.

"Of course I am. The way to Camelot is south of Ealdor. The path is clear. _This _path," he said motioning down to the trail that had been eroded over time.

"Just because we're on a path doesn't mean we're on the _right_ path," she sighed shifting her bag on her shoulders.

"Have a little faith in me, would you? I know we're going the right way."

"You _know_," she repeated, emphasizing that she knew exactly how he knew. A quick wordless understanding passed between them.

"Yes, I _know_."

Adrielle and Merlin were different. Everyone says 'oh they're different', but this time it was true. Adrielle and Merlin were twins, born on the exact same day to the same mother. Merlin always liked to brag that he was the eldest child. To that extent their mother had branded him with being the older brother, which meant he had to look after and set examples for Adrielle. Like a good older brother should. It always seemed to be Merlin who was constantly getting into trouble and Adrielle who was in charge of reprimanding him.

"If my senses are correct at the top of this hill we should be able to see Camelot," Merlin announced.

"If we get to the top and all we see are more trees I'm going to laugh and probably punch you for leading us in the wrong direction." Merlin turned around to make a face at her before continuing on forward. He raced to the top of the hill eager to find out for sure if he had been right or not. Adrielle pulled the hem of her dress up higher allowing her to quickly trek up the hill.

As they reached the peak and peered over the land, a great white castle stood. Camelot. The two of them stood there and took in the sight together. They had never been to a large, bustling city before. Especially never Camelot. Their home of Ealdor was a small village in the country of Cenred's land. Not many in Ealdor had ever graced the presence of their king, but word was he wasn't the friendliest of sorts. A rugged and handsome man he was, but also quite cruel and ruthless. Cenred didn't bother much with the small outlying village of theirs, which everyone was pleased with.

"My apologies, Merl," Adrielle said as they stared. "It seems you were right."

"Does that mean I get to punch you now?" Merlin asked, half joking half serious.

"No," she responded bluntly. Being the older brother that he was, Merlin took his chance and punched her shoulder, a good hearted laugh leaving his lips. Adrielle didn't find him as amusing and made to tackle him. Merlin side stepped and watched her falter, realizing he'd unleashed her wrath as he took off down the hill towards the castle. She chased her brother most of the way to the city, goofy grins appearing on their faces as they raced. As they reached the lower town they slowed down their pace. It was a futile attempt, in Adrielle's opinion, to remain without any sort of reputation their first day in Camelot. The two siblings held onto each other as they walked, laughing and clutching their sides while gasping for air. Despite the fact that they were siblings and practically obligated to row with each other every now and then, Merlin and Adrielle were each other's best friends.

They looked every which way as they walked closer to the castle, trying to take in as much of the city as they could. Villagers bustled all around them maintaining their day to day business. Stalls lined the sides with goods and wonders available for purchase. Children weaved in and out of their legs, parents hurrying after trying to control them. Chickens squawked and pigs squealed from their pens. It definitely didn't smell like the country where they had come from. The air was more alive, bristling and humming with the excitement and liveliness of the villagers.

As they neared the castle, the sound of drumbeats distinguished themselves from the normal sounds of the bustling city. Horns sounded, calling the citizens to gather round for what was about to happen. Adrielle and Merlin looked at each other and hurried over to where the large crowd was gathering, careful to stick close to each other. In the center of the gathering was a block of eight guards placed strategically to create a barrier in front of the people. Two guards led a man into the center from the citadel and up to the block. He did not struggle as they pushed him to his knees; his eyes betrayed him though. They were plastered with fear.

Adrielle could feel her brother come to the same conclusion next to her: they were about to witness an execution. They'd never seen a proper execution like this before. There wasn't much need in Ealdor.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all," a great booming voice echoed from behind them. The crowd turned collectively to gaze at the man who was speaking. He stood up on a balcony with two knights flanking him. He was older than them, probably in their mother's generation. Definitely older than her, but all the same. He could easily pass as their father. He had grey peppered hair and an old aged face. A magnificent crown sat atop his head, ordaining him as King of Camelot.

"This man," he continued powerfully, "Thomas James Collins is judged guilty of conspiring with enchantments and magic. And pursuant with the laws of Camelot I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death."

Adrielle gulped and tried to glance over at Merlin inconspicuously. That's another that separated Merlin and Adrielle from most others. They had magic. It was common knowledge that having and or practicing magic was something sort of a taboo. The two of them could move things with magic before they could even talk. It just sort of happened with them. When they were old enough to comprehend more, their mother told them that their gifts had to be kept a secret. It wasn't that they were monsters, but that some gifts are so special that they must be shared quietly. In secret. They thought that coming to Camelot was a fresh change, an escape from the mundane life in Ealdor. They had no idea that where they were going it was not only taboo to practice magic, but _illegal._ On penalty of _death_.

Merlin looked back at her, the same sense of dread creeping into his chest. The two looked back up as Uther continued. "I pride myself on being a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery there is only one sentence I can pass." He nodded to the two guards who had ushered the man called Thomas into the square. The crowd turned their attention back to the center as Thomas was push forward, his head coming to rest on the chopping block.

Adrielle found herself grabbing onto Merlin's upper arm and squeezing it, hoping to find some comfort and reassurance. Merlin wasn't usually the one she went to for protection necessarily, but they were all each other really had now. Especially when they were practically dead in the water everywhere they went in Camelot. If Uther or anyone else were to ever find out about them, who Adrielle and Merlin truly were, they'd be condemned to death without a second's hesitation. Even if they hadn't done anything inherently wrong.

The executioner stepped into position and slowly raised his axe in tandem with Uther's arm, waiting for the moment to strike. The drumbeats continued to beat their strange death march anthem. Uther brought his arm down and the execution struck. A collective gasp rang through the crowd; Adrielle had squeezed her brother's arm and looked away at the last possible moment, tightly shutting her eyes.

"When I came to this land," Uther continued, almost as if nothing had fazed him, "the kingdom was mired with chaos. With the people's help magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evils of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin."

Adrielle turned to Merlin, unsure of what to say or what exactly was going on. She usually always had some words to say no matter what the given circumstance. Although it seemed this was a brand new and disconcerting encounter for both of the twins.

The people and their king started to turn and leave the gruesome sight that was Thomas's beheading, when a heartbreaking wail pierced the air. The crowd remained where they were and focused their attention on the source of the wails, an elderly woman with grey stringy hair. Her brown robes were tattered and frayed, and her eyes were filled to the brim with agony and anger. If looks could kill the king would be dead within a second under her forceful gaze.

"There is only one evil in this land and it is not magic," she wailed. Even the king had been forced to stop and stare at her as she berated him. "It is you! With your hatred and your ignorance. You took my son. But I promise you, before these celebrations are over you will share my tears. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A son for a son."

At that King Uther reeled back and ordered his guards forward. "Seize her!" he shouted. The woman pulled a necklace out, a strange stone on a string, and held onto it as she incanted a spell. A wisp of air burst forth and engulfed the woman before the guards could reach her. When the powerful wind had stopped, she was nowhere to be seen.

The king turned and left without another word, his knights following suit. The rest of the people who had gathered turned to one another and began to resume their business, chattering about the execution and the witch who had been in their midst; threatening the king and his son.

Adrielle turned to Merlin again worriedly. He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her to the direction they had been going earlier.

"What are we doing here?" she asked quickly, trying to conceal her fright and uncertainty.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean why are we here? Why has mother sentenced us to a place where we could be killed just for breathing? Just because we are who we are?"

"I don't know, Adrielle, you're the smart one. You tell me," Merlin retorted.

"I don't know, alright! That's why I'm asking you!" Her voice began to rise higher than that of the average townsperson. A few curious glances were sent their way, but nothing more was thought of this country girl's outburst.

"Keep your voice down," Merlin chastised. Whenever it was completely unnecessary and out of place, Merlin's 'big brother' attitude would push through. That she was a young and foolish girl who should listen to her wise and older brother. _Pfft. Wise and older my arse,_ Adrielle thought. "Don't get your knickers in a twist."

"Look, I'm sorry, Merlin," she retracted, her voice dying down again. "I'm just a little nervous and a little bit scared right now. Why are we here?"

"I told you, I don't know. I'm sure mother wouldn't have sent us here if she didn't have a good reason. Something more than just letting us stretch our legs out on our own. Have a little faith, will you?"

"I do. Although I'm not too sure when you became the wise and composed sibling and I...well whatever you usually are," Adrielle said, a faint smile quirking her lips. "Who are we suppose to be looking for again?"

"Er...Gaius," Merlin said, looking over the letter their mother had given them. It explained all her fears and doubts about them staying in Ealdor. What she wished Gaius to know about her dear twins.

"Do we even know what he looks like or where he might be?"

"No. She says he's our uncle but the two of us haven't ever met him."

"Oh brilliant," she said with a roll of her eyes. "So we're looking for a man we've never met before, who has never met either of us, we don't know where in the city he lives, and we only know his name?"

"And that he's Court Physician," Merlin added helplessly.

"Well I guess that's helps _a little_."

Merlin might have been content enough to just wander around the castle until they hopefully bumped into whoever Gaius was or their 'magic' senses came in and 'magically' told them where he was. Adrielle sighed and playfully slapped the back of his head; it seemed the roles had been reversed again back to their proper places. She took the initiative and casually strolled up to a guard. Careful not to accidentally scream that she was a witch, and get herself and her brother dragged away to the dungeons, she asked where they could find Gaius, the Court Physician. He pointed them through a door and up a set of stairs. She flashed a polite smile and turned back to her brother, ushering him to follow.

"Now, was asking for directions _really_ that hard?" she poked playfully. "I just saved us a lot of time."

"Or we could have just followed that sign," Merlin said, pointing to a place along the stairs. Adrielle followed his finger to a sign that said 'Court Physician' with an arrow pointing the same direction the guard had. Adrielle huffed and turned back to face her brother.

"It could have been hours before we found that sign on our own." Merlin put up his hands in mock surrender. The two of them continued towards their destination quietly. At the end of the hall they found a door that was cracked open slightly. Merlin made to walk in until Adrielle's arm snapped up in front of him, halting him.

"What?" he asked confused.

"We can't just go barging in. That's rude, what if he's indecent?" she said sternly. Merlin nodded his head muttering 'oh, right', as he did. He knocked on the door quickly as he walked right on inside. _Well at least he knocked_, Adrielle thought.

"Gaius?" Merlin called. "Hello?"

"Maybe he's not here," Adrielle suggested as she looked around the room. It was quite an interesting room. She'd probably think that everything she saw in Camelot would be considered 'quite interesting' or new to her until she got use to things. There were a few tables scattered around the room, a small cot off to the right side, and another table she supposed was an examination table. It was the only table without...things on it. The tables were littered with books and papers, different scientific and medical instruments, jars and glasses filled to the brim with different ingredients. Herbs and foliage were also strung up and shoved into cups, anywhere room could be found but also where they could be easily accessible in an emergency.

"Perhaps he's indecent somewhere else," Merlin called back smarmily.

"Gaius?" Adrielle called out. Merlin strolled around the room and looked up to see an older man standing in front of a bookshelf on an upper level.

"Gaius!" Merlin called again, clearing his throat this time. Gaius started to turn to inspect who was in his chambers when the railing that he had been leaning on snapped. Adrielle reacted without even meaning to. Her breath hitched as she watched the old man start to fall to the Earth. _Stop!_ Her mind screamed at him. Her eyes flashed from blue to gold and back again. It seemed that time around Gaius had slowed down. He was still falling, but it would take him some time to fall completely to the ground. Even then it probably wouldn't hurt him at all.

Merlin turned to look at her. _What did you do?_ his face said. She shrugged, not knowing exactly what she had done. Merlin turned his attention to the cot nearby. His eyes flashed gold, just as hers had, and in an instant the bed moved from its original position across the room and under to where Gaius would inevitably hit. Time sped up again and Gaius came falling back to the ground, landing with a softer thud on his bed.

"What did you just do?" Gaius ordered as he quickly stood up.

The two twins stammered almost in unison, trying to find words to explain or even cover up what they had just done.

"Tell me!"

"Uh nothing, that was nothing...uh...that was...it was him," Adrielle said, finally blaming Merlin and pointing up at him. It was her fail safe, last resort tactic. When in doubt, blame Merlin. It had a fairly decent success rate. Usually it actually _was_ Merlin's fault or it was extremely plausible that it could have been his fault.

Merlin looked at his sister annoyed before speaking again. "That wasn't me and that wasn't her either. That was neither of us. Nothing happened."

"If anyone had seen that-" Gaius continued, looking around the room to make sure no one had actually seen it.

"Oh no, no. That wasn't us. I don't know what that was but it was most definitely not us," Adrielle continued.

"I know what it was," Gaius spoke. "I just want to know where you learned to do it."

"Nowhere," the two said together.

"So how is it you know magic?" Gaius asked.

"I don't. We don't," they said, still speaking as one.

"Where did you study?" Gaius really wasn't going to take no for an answer, was he? "Answer me!"

"I-I haven't," Merlin answered by himself this time. "Neither of us have. We've never studied magic."

"Are you lying to me boy?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth!"

"We were born like this," Adrielle chimed in.

"That's impossible," Gaius continued, refusing to believe these two young people, children still, had in fact been born with magic. He seemed to let it go for a moment, speaking again when another thought had popped into his mind. "Who are you two?"

They looked at each other before answering. "Oh, we uhm...we have a letter. Merlin get the letter," Adrielle said while touching his arm. He struggled with his bag for a second and dug inside of it before handing the letter over to Gaius.

"I don't have my glasses," he said, waving around the letter seeing it was useless to him now.

"I'm Merlin and this is my sister Adrielle," he said, introducing the two of them.

"Hunith's twins?" he asked surprised, finally getting to the reason they were actually here. "You're not meant to be here until Wednesday."

"It...it is Wednesday," Adrielle supplied, her brows furrowing.

"Ah...right then," Gaius said slowly. "Well the two of you better put your things in there." He motioned to a few steps that led up to a small door. The twins nodded and began moving towards their personal chambers, when Merlin suddenly turned around.

"You won't...er...you won't mention anything about uhm..." he nodded towards the broken railings and the cot.

"No, but Merlin," Gaius called as the two turned back around, "I should say thank you. To the both of you." The two nodded sheepishly before making their way back up to their rooms.

Behind the door was a small room. It looked like its initial purpose had been to be a bedroom, perhaps for only one person but certainly not two. Squished on either side by the walls were two identical cots. Crates and other boxes were stacked up in various places. A small desk and a chair had been set up between the two beds. On the wall by the door a small mirror hung. On the other side of the door stood a small cabinet, able to hold their clothes and small items they had brought with them.

The two twins quickly claimed their beds, Merlin to the right and Adrielle to the left, and sat their things down. They were grateful to have a proper chance to rest. Not just to rest but to be inside on a piece of furniture and not stopped out in the middle of the woods. The sun had since started setting. Adrielle was quick to light a few candles before they were plunged into total darkness.

"Look there," Merlin said, pointing to a window that hung just above Adrielle's bed. Faint sounds of the dying city could be heard as the two approached the window and slowly opened it. The window looked out over a part of the city. From their perch they could perfectly see patches of the castle, the citadel, and the lower town stretching out below them. Lights flicked from houses creating the illusion that they were looking out over stars.

"This is so cool," Adrielle breathed, as her and her brother leaned against the ledge and took in Camelot at night.

As the brother and sister pair got settled and accustomed to their new living arrangement, Gaius sat himself down at one of his many tables. He placed his reading glasses onto his face and read over the words his dear sister-in-law had written.

_My dear Gaius, I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust. It is every mother's fate to think her child is special, yet I would give my life to think that Merlin and Adrielle were not so. Ours is a small village and they are so clearly at odds with people here that if they were to remain I fear what would become of them. They each need a hand to hold and not each other's. A voice to guide them. Someone that might help them find a purpose for their gifts. I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her son and daughter, keep them safe. And may God save all of you. Hunith_.

Gaius lowered his glasses and folded up the letter, turning to gaze at the room where Adrielle and Merlin now slept.

Adrielle woke slowly the next morning. It was comforting and welcoming to find herself waking up in a proper bed. Blankets covering her with the right amount of warmth and a couple of pillows under her head. For a split second, she almost thought they were back home in Ealdor. That her mother would be coming in any moment, kissing Adrielle's head softly and calling for Merlin to wake, and when he didn't Adrielle would take to throwing a pillow at his lazy form. A soft and motherly smile would grace Hunith's lips before leaving the two of them.

Adrielle smiled sadly, the thought of her mother causing her heart to contract uncomfortably. She looked over to her brother's bed and found him still soundly asleep. She considered assaulting him with a pillow; waking him up for old time's sake. She decided against it, letting him sleep peacefully. There would be enough time for them to pick on each other while reminiscing on their past.

She pulled on her dress and moved to the small mirror. Her dark, black hair hung loosely around her face, curling at the tips which reached just barely past her shoulders. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to tame the beast and make herself look presentable. Her pale purple dress was just a size too big, causing it to hang unceremoniously from her body. She reached for a light brown cord and tied it around her waist, giving her dress and form a more feminine look. She smiled, her light pink lips twitching slightly.

She met her eyes in the mirror and checked herself over again. She had to admit, her dark blue eyes were quite stunning. They complimented her pale heart shaped face nicely; even her high and prominent cheek bones. She laughed to herself as she remarked how much resemblance her and Merlin shared. They were twins after all. He had the same colour hair, same blue eyes, and same sharp cheekbones.

She smiled to her reflection, seeming pleased with its appearance, and headed down to the main part of their chambers. Gaius was standing over one of his tables, preparing what she assumed as breakfast. He looked up as he noticed her presence and smiled kindly at her.

"Good morning, Adrielle," Gaius said, returning his attention back to their porridge. He dished out two bowls worth of food and set them both down at the table.

"Good morning, Gaius," she said cheerfully taking her seat across from Gaius.

"Sleep well?" he asked conversationally as they started their meal. She nodded in response. He nodded towards a bowl that sat at the edge of the table. "It seems your brother forgot to wash last night. How old are the two of you now anyways?"

"Eighteen. The both of us," she replied taking another bite of her food. Gaius nodded, returning to his food. She didn't notice as his hand came up and slowly pushed on a pot until it started to topple over the edge. Adrielle noticed it falling and quickly reacted, causing it to freeze in midair. She looked over at Gaius surprised before the magic wore off, causing the pot to smash to the floor and shatter.

"How did you do that?" he questioned. He wasn't as heated as he was last night. This morning he seemed more curious. "Did you incant a spell in your mind?"

"I don't know any spells," she offered honestly.

"So what did you do? There must be something."

"It just sort of...happens. We get caught off guard or something surprises us and these things just...happen." The pair looked from each other to the pot shards and back. Adrielle jumped up and began clear the debris.

"We? You mean your brother can do the same?" Gaius continued. She nodded as she returned to her breakfast, hopeful to avoid anymore interrogations. Gaius looked at her before returning to his meal.

Within minutes, Merlin had stirred from his sleep and came walking downstairs. Gaius served him breakfast and took the seat across from Adrielle, who was now finished eating. Gaius pulled the same stunt with Merlin as he did Adrielle, eager to see if they really could both to magic. This time Merlin froze the bucket of water for a moment before it too came crashing to the ground. Merlin hurried up and mopped up the mess.

"Looks like I'm going to have a time trying to keep you two out of trouble," Gaius said.

"Usually that's just my job," Adrielle said with a small smirk.

"I'm sure he needs all the looking after he can get," Gaius said, chuckling lightly. He came over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But now you have someone to look after you, too. You can both help me out until I find some paid work for the two of you." He moved to one of his work stations grabbing a poultice and a small flask for them.

"Here. Hollyhock and feverfew for Lady Percival and this," he said touching the flask, "is for Sir Olwen. He's as blind as a weevil so warn him not to take it all at once. Oh, and if you two don't mind taking this to Tom the blacksmith." He handed them the three items and pulled out a sandwich for Merlin to eat on the go. He gave Adrielle clear directions to each of the three patients and sent them on their way.

"Oh and one more thing," he called as they reached the door. "I need hardly tell you the practice of any form of enchantments will get you killed."

"Got it," Merlin said waving with his sandwich.

"I was speaking to Adrielle," Gaius said with a quirk of his eyebrows. "She seems to be the more responsible one out of you two. Now off you go." The two siblings shared a sly smile before they ventured off into the castle. They chattered casually as they walked through the castle, Merlin munching happily on his morning sandwich. They found their first room, Sir Olwin, fairly easily with Gaius's directions and knocked swiftly on the door.

Adrielle never expected the man who opened the door to be the Sir Olwin they were looking for. She could definitely tell that he was blind. His eyes were practically sealed together. It also looked like he was missing his teeth all together.

"Hello," Adrielle spoke up before Merlin had the chance to annoy anybody. He didn't necessarily look at them, but sort of moved his head towards where they were. Or where he thought they ought to be standing. "Uhm...we're assisting Gaius this morning. We brought you your medicine." He held out his hand to take the bottle except his hand was about a foot off. Adrielle took his hand in hers and moved it over to where her other hand was. He smiled a sort of toothless smile and accepted the bottle. He popped the cork off and began to take it without another word.

"Oh Gaius said not to drink it all at once," Merlin chimed in, but it was too late. He was already sucking down the entire thing. Merlin and Adrielle looked at each other, unsure what would happen after he took the potion all at once. "I'm sure it's fine."

The pair took off quickly. They rounded a corner and traded awkward faces before bursting into laughs.

"Let's hope we don't hear about that later," Merlin laughed.

"Oh God, Gaius will probably turn us in himself he'll be so cross," Adrielle joked. "Here why don't you go give that to Lady Percival and I'll go see Tom. We can get done sooner and have more time to explore, tour this place." He nodded at her suggestion and started to take off in Lady Percival's direction when Adrielle's hand suddenly clasped onto his jacket.

"Merlin, don't go getting into any trouble on your first day here. Or there _will_ be hell to pay, got it?" He gave her a sheepish look before heading off on his own, not actually responding to her sternness. She watched him walk away before she turned and headed off to the blacksmith.

She smiled politely to people she passed. Throughout the castle servants were busy preparing for the Lady Helen's arrival and feast that would be held two days time in honor of twenty years without magic. Adrielle wasn't sure how she should feel about it. The entire kingdom as celebrating and rejoicing the fact that people like her and her brother were dead and abolished from Camelot. It made her feel like she was at odds against the world. She wondered, and shuttered at the thought, of what anyone like her could have done to make the use of magic so feared. So misunderstood.

She sighed and tried to push those kinds of thoughts from her mind. Her mother always advised her that she ought not to worry about things that were out of her control. She rounded a corner and up to the house of the blacksmith, firmly knocking three times. A young woman, maybe a year or two older than her, opened the door. She was a few inches shorter than Adrielle. She had creamy brown eyes and dark curly hair that hung to her shoulders. Her dark skin was complimented nicely by her coral dress.

"You're not the blacksmith," Adrielle said suddenly. "Unless you are. Not saying that you can't be. I didn't mean to be rude; you might very well be the blacksmith. I just didn't expect you to be a girl and you look confused so I'm going to stop talking now. Sorry."

The girl in question let out a breathy laugh before speaking. "I'm his daughter, Guinevere, although most people just call me Gwen. He's not here right now. Is there something I can help you with?" she asked politely. Her voice was soft and kind.

"Uhm I'm assisting Gaius today and he asked me to bring this for your father," she said while handing over the little bag.

"Oh thank you, I'll make sure he gets it. I wasn't aware Gaius had any assistants."

"Well it's only temporary. My brother and I just moved here and we're living with Gaius, he's our uncle," Adrielle explained.

"Oh, well then, welcome to Camelot," Gwen said with a smile. Adrielle hadn't formally met anybody in Camelot yet. It was nice to be shown some sense of welcome and hospitality, even if it was from this young woman. "I'd love to stay and chat but I really must be off. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid, you see."

"Well don't let me keep you waiting," Adrielle said with a smile, stepping out of the doorway. "It was nice meeting you, Gwen. Hopefully we'll see each other again soon."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too..." she started, pausing when she realized she hadn't gotten her name.

"Oh, Adrielle." she supplied, offering her hand.

"Well, Adrielle," Gwen said while taking her hand and shaking it, "until next time."

She said her goodbyes to Gwen and made her way back to Gaius' chambers. Merlin was surely done with his task by now. Unless, of course, he'd gotten himself into trouble already. _Oh, come on,_ Adrielle sighed to herself. _You should have a little more faith in your dear brother. _Adrielle decided to take her time getting back and explore the castle a little

Adrielle took a little walk through the nearby forest before she returned to Gaius's chambers, which she supposed were _her_ chambers now. She was surprised to see only Gaius sitting there. She'd been out for hours. Where could Merlin be?

"Ah, Adrielle. Glad to see you're not in over your head," Gaius said.

"What do you mean?"

"Your brother. Got himself into a bit of trouble,"

"Already?" Adrielle sighed. "What has he done? Where is he?"

"He's in the dungeons."

"_Dungeons?!_" Her brother was _so_ dead when she got a hold of him.

"He insulted the king's son. Arthur."

"Why is he _such_ a clotpole? Merlin, that is."

"That is a mystery you may never be able to answer. I've been able to pull a few strings to get him out, but he'll have to stay the night there tonight," Gaius said handing her a plate of food.

"He's definitely going to be a handful."


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Well helloooooo again guys! I debated over how soon to update this story. I was going to wait and try to maintain a schedule, like a chapter a week, but I couldn't do that. I'm impatient and just want to get things going. I do apologize there probably won't be a set schedule for updating. Probably whenever I finish an episode of Merlin there will be an update or two close together. And then there will be a gap while I'm writing. I am guilty of putting my two Harry Potter stories on a near permanent hiatus. It's not that I've lost any interest in them, I could _NEVER_ lose interest in Harry Potter. But for some reason my muse has just left me and Harry and Stephanie Cradey 3: What I'm trying to say is that I swear to you I will try my very hardest to keep this story moving forward at a decent pace._**

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_The Dragon's Call: Part 2_

The next morning, as soon as the two of them woke, Adrielle and Gaius headed off to the dungeons to rescue her idiotic brother. When they came upon the cell he was in, Merlin had his head to the ground as if he were listening for something.

"_Merlin_!" Gaius called sternly as the door opened.

"You had one job, Merlin, _one job_! Stay out of trouble!" Adrielle exclaimed.

"You _never_ cease to amaze me! The one thing someone like you should do is keep your head down, and what do you do? You behave like an idiot!" Gaius continued.

"I'm sorry," Merlin apologized, eyes on the ground.

"Well you're lucky. I've pulled a few strings to get you released." Merlin smiled and excitedly began to thank Gaius.

"I wouldn't get too excited just yet," Adrielle said with a faint, knowing smile.

"There is a small price to pay," Gaius admitted. Merlin frowned, staring at the two. "Come on then."

Merlin began to follow Gaius and the guards out, when Adrielle suddenly pulled him into a quick hug.

"What was that for?" Merlin questioned.

"I'm glad you're not dead. I don't know what I'd do. Besides, I figured I should do that now before..." she started. Merlin said nothing, but stared at her uncertainly.

The catch for getting Merlin out of his jail cell wasn't all that much better. He was subjected a couple of hours in the stocks, being pelted with rotten fruit and vegetables by the villagers. She shouldn't be laughing at him, she really shouldn't. He was her brother and she should stand beside him. But as a rotten tomato came flying at his head, his body tensing as he waited for impact, she couldn't help but laugh.

This was an opportunity that she, as a younger sister, couldn't pass up. She took a rotten apple from someone in the crowd and hurled it at his head. Merlin looked up just as Adrielle's apple came flying at him, hitting him square between his eyes. He shrunk away and looked back up, wanting to see who threw the well aimed fruit at him.

"_Adrielle!_" He whined when he realized it had been his own sister. She laughed beside herself and withdrew from the crowd, making sure to stay out of the line of fire.

"I'm sorry, Merlin, but really. This is an opportunity I couldn't pass." The villagers had run out of ammo and scurried off to collect more. Merlin looked over at her, glaring as he did.

"Oh, come on. It's all fun and games. You know you would have done the same thing had it been me in the stocks," she said with a short laugh, ruffling his hair.

"Adrielle," a soft voice said from the other side of Merlin. The two looked over and laid their eyes upon Gwen's kind figure. Gwen introduced herself to Merlin, much like she had yesterday to Adrielle.

"Merlin," he said offering his hand to Gwen. "Although most people call me idiot."

"I most certainly do," Adrielle said with a chuckle.

"No, no. No I saw what you did. It was so brave," Gwen gushed sympathetically.

"It was stupid," he sighed.

"Well I'm glad you walked away. You weren't going to beat him," Gwen continued.

Merlin chuckled under his breath, muttering defiantly that he could've beaten him.

"You think? Because you don't look like one of these big muscley fellows."

Merlin frowned, muttering a defeated, "Thanks."

"No, no I'm sure you're stronger than you look. It's just Arthur's one of these real rough, tough, save the world kind of men. Well...you don't look like that," Gwen added. Merlin looked around like he had a secret to tell. Gwen leaned in, eager to what he had to say. Adrielle knew he was stupid, but he wouldn't dare, would he?

"I'm in disguise," he whispered. Adrielle snorted, happy to know her brother wasn't a _complete_ idiot. An idiot, yes, but he was just flirting. Gwen smiled and laughed.

"Well, it's great you stood up to him. Arthur's a bully and everyone thought you were a real hero," Gwen said with a smile. Adrielle watched as these two smiled at each other, smirking beside herself. The crowd of villagers boisterously returned, baskets filled to the brim with more rotten food

"Oh, excuse me, ladies. My fans await me," Merlin said. The two girls nodded and Adrielle took Gwen by her shoulder as she hurried to the other side with her.

"Have fun, Merlin," Adrielle sang as the two girls headed back into the castle. The two laughed together at Merlin's unfortunate situation.

"Well that's my brother," Adrielle said, still sing song like.

"_That's_ your brother? Merlin?" Gwen asked surprised, like she couldn't believe it.

"Yes. Who did you think he was?"

"Well I just- I dunno. I guess I thought the two of you were sort of...together," Gwen said embarrassed.

"_What?!_ No, no! He's a great guy and I love him but he's my brother," Adrielle choked. "It's a lot easier to tell we look alike when he's not bent over and covered in rotten food."

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have insinuated something like that. You must think me a fool," she said bashfully, hiding her face in her hands.

"No, it's fine, Gwen. It's an honest mistake. I mistook you for the blacksmith and you mistook my brother for my husband. We're even now," Adrielle said placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. The older girl peeked out from between her fingers, smiling faintly.

"I'm still utterly embarrassed," Gwen said before taking off with a smile. Adrielle turned to make her way back to Gaius's chambers. _Her_ chambers. She couldn't seem to get use to that. She would in time, she figured. Gaius had asked her to assist him some more with his potions and remedies; after she was finished tormenting her brother, of course.

Adrielle admired how nicely the decorations were coming along as she walked through the halls of the castle. Just because the celebration was ultimately for her death and persecution didn't mean she couldn't admire the decorations. She noted a boy across the hall coming at her from the opposite direction. She supposed he wasn't really a boy. He looked older. A good two years older. He was tall with sandy blonde hair. His red tunic hung comfortably from his frame. He wore brown trousers and brown boots, with a brown belt hanging loosely from his hips.

She looked ahead of her, peeling her eyes away from this boy. _Man_, she supposed he was. She realized she'd been looking him over carefully. She risked the embarrassment of being caught and took her chance, looking back over at the man.

Their eyes met by pure chance. His eyes were blue, much like her own, but a much lighter blue. His eyes reflected all the light they took in, shimmering like the sea. Adrielle felt heat creeping up her neck into her cheeks. She'd been caught, red handed, checking out this man. He smiled mischievously, possibly knowing _exactly_ why she had been looking at him and why she was blushing so heavily now. He nodded to her as he passed, standing up straighter as he did. Her girlish behavior only boosted his ego. She cursed herself under her breath, turning her head to watch him as he walked away.

There was a flash. Something had passed between the two as their eyes had met. It had been so sudden that two involved nearly missed it. They caught it again as they both looked back at each other, eyes meeting once more. Adrielle turned around quickly morbidly embarrassed that she'd been caught _twice_. She hurried back to her chambers so she could, hopefully, fall into her bed and disappear. She had originally hoped she'd see this man again; she still did. She just hoped the embarrassing moment wouldn't come back to haunt her anytime soon. Or ever, in fact.

The man in question turned back around, questioning the encounter. He suddenly felt drawn to this young woman. He didn't know why. He could tell by her appearance and the state of her dress that she was nothing more than a commoner. Noblemen were known to consort with commoner women, seeking out to fulfill their most basic, primal instincts, but nothing more. Yet he felt like there should be more between him and her. He couldn't explain it. He wasn't sure if he _should _explain it. He pushed the encounter and the girl from his mind, focusing his eyes forward.

Merlin came stumbling an hour later, covered in juices and bits of rotten food. Adrielle threw a sarcastic insult at him and he, of course, retaliated but hugging her tightly with all his rotten foodness. Adrielle screamed and started trying to rid herself of Merlin the leech, but he just gripped tighter. Gaius sent them a stern look, much like their mother would have.

"Merlin, I'll draw you a bath but please leave your sister alone," Gaius said, seeming to already take on the parental role for these two young sorcerers. "If you keep it up she'll smell worse than you."

Gaius had their meal ready for them once Merlin was finished washing.

"Want some vegetables with that?" Gaius asked cheekily, holding up a bowl to Merlin. Merlin laughed in return, a sheepish smile on his face.

"I know you're still angry with me."

"Your mother asked me to look after you two," Gaius replied while taking a seat across from the twins. "What did your mother say to you two about your gifts?"

"That we were special," Adrielle answered, looking over at her simple yet lovable brother.

"You are special; the both of you. The likes of which I've never seen before."

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"Well magic requires incantations, spells, years to study. What I saw you two do was elemental, instinctive."

"What's the point if it can't be used?" Merlin sighed.

"That I do not know. You two are a question that's never been posed before," Gaius offered. The two twins looked at each other questioning everything themselves.

"Did you ever study magic, Gaius?" Adrielle asked a quizzical look in her eyes. Gaius looked from Merlin to Adrielle quietly, pondering how to best answer her. He took a moment or two to collect himself and his proper thoughts before answering.

"Uther banned all such work twenty years ago, before the two of you were even born," Gaius said, not directly answering Adrielle's question.

"Why?" Merlin asked, setting down his spoon almost eagerly.

"People used magic for the wrong reasons back then. It threw the natural balance into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons."

"What, all of them?" Adrielle asked, horrified. The stories of dragons had always been her favorite. She nearly demanded all their bedtime stories be about dragons when she and Merlin were little. They seemed so majestic, so regal. Sure they were dangerous, but didn't the most exciting things come with a little bit of danger?

"There was one dragon he chose not to kill," Gaius continued, "kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave deep beneath the castle where no one could free it."

Adrielle looked from Gaius to Merlin, then off to the side. So far what she'd seen and heard about King Uther she didn't like. He killed those with magic without a second glance and wiped all traces of it from his kingdom. Sure, she knew magic could be a force of evil. Their mother had warned them about it. No matter how much someone had egged them on, they were never allowed to use magic to harm someone; to kill.

Adrielle had always seen the beauty to magic. The earth seemed to hum around her with life. The trees swayed more freely and the waters glistened brighter. The wind whispered sweet nothings in her ears and the flowers smelled sweeter. She found the beauty of nature within her magic.

Gaius's voice brought her back to reality and her lunch that was set before her.

"When you two are finished I'll need you to take this preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice." The two twins nodded and their meal resumed in silence.

When the two were ready to set off Gaius handed the potion to Adrielle. "Adrielle," he said. "Make sure he doesn't get himself into any trouble." She nodded before turning to push Merlin out of the room.

Lady Helen's chambers were across the hall on the middle level of chambers. Her chambers were the most beautiful Adrielle had ever seen. Coming from a simple farm town neither of them had ever had the privilege of seeing such extravagant chambers. She could only guess what chambers Lady Morgana or the prince had. She couldn't even fathom Uther's chambers.

The two walked in slowly, realizing nobody was in here. Merlin continued deeper into the room.

"Let's just leave it on the table and leave," Adrielle began as she turned to leave. She noticed Merlin continue to look around, making no effort to leave.

"Merlin, c'mon. We shouldn't snoop," Adrielle continue. The sweet scent of vanilla and cinnamon candles wafted into her nose, seductively drawing her in. She turned back around feeling the impulse to snoop. _A quick look around couldn't hurt_. There were so many beautiful clothes and trinkets draped over nearly every inch of the room. The most exquisite flowers rested in a fine vase.

She looked over to make sure Merlin wasn't causing a ruckus. He had set the potion down and was now messing with a doll in his hands. It was a strange doll made out of straw.

"What on earth," Adrielle muttered while eyeing over the rest of the items on the table. She noticed a small leather bound book hiding under a silk cloth. _Now why would someone be hiding this book?_ She asked herself. She knew _why_. It was something private; something secret. Something the average person should _not_ have their eyes on. _But I'm no average person, now am I?_

Adrielle tenderly picked up the book and stared at it. Intricate and detailed designs were etched into its cover. Adrielle's fingers began tracing symbols and pictures.

"What is that?" Merlin asked, setting the doll down and peering over her shoulder. Odd pieces of paper and cloth were shoved in between the pages. She turned it over in her hands studying the clasp that held the covers together. Her hands started to fumble with the clasp when the sounds of footsteps echoed through her ears. She glanced back at the door quickly and threw the book back on the table, covering it back up just as Lady Helen came walking in.

She stared at the two intruders cautiously. "What are you doing in my bedchambers?" she asked, authority spewing from her lips. Adrielle seemed to have lost her voice under the Lady's accusations. Lady Helen was a beautiful woman. Her dark hair hung in luscious waves.

"Uh- uhm," Merlin stumbled. The Lady Helen caught the sight of something behind them and stared at it anxiously. Adrielle began to turn to look at whatever it was, when Merlin continued to speak, drawing her back. He picked up the small vial and handed it to her. "Oh I was asked to deliver this by the Court Physician."

She took the potion gingerly looking quickly from Merlin to Adrielle. She forced an awkward smile trying to play the whole ordeal off. Adrielle smiled and grabbed onto Merlin's jacket, pulling him out of the room behind her.

The two did not speak to each other until they were far enough away from Lady Helen's chambers.

"See, even when I'm following you around you _still _seem to get into trouble,"Adrielle huffed.

"What? Me? _You're_ the one who started messing around with that book. Why do you think she has all that stuff anyways?" Merlin asked, changing topic from snooping.

"I don't know. I'm not a royal am I? I don't know what kind of weird things they fancy," she answered. "Okay, so maybe the two of us together aren't much better at keeping out of trouble. Maybe a walk through the woods will help. I found some really cool spots the other day."

The twins made their way quietly from the castle, careful to keep their curious and eager minds from further trouble. As they walked through the lower town, Adrielle noticed a flash of blonde hair a ways ahead of her. She followed it down to the body of the boy she saw only hours earlier. He still wore his red tunic but had metal gauntlets on and a piece of armor on his chest.

Oh great, he must be a knight of some sort. A warrior. She turned her eyes down quickly, not wanting to meet his gaze; again. She had been embarrassed enough from their initial encounter, but to know that she had embarrassed herself in front of a knight? Her heart dropped suddenly, the thought that nothing could ever come between them. Not like it mattered. Adrielle had only looked at him. Twice, admittedly. He could be a total jerk, worth none of her affection.

"How's your knee walking coming along?" she heard his voice ask after they had passed. She stopped suddenly and turned to Merlin.

"How many friends have you made, Merlin?" she asked sarcastically. Merlin put his arm on his sister's shoulder and turned her back around, guiding her onward.

"Oh, don't run away," the boy playfully mocked. Merlin stopped, his hand clenching into Adrielle's shoulder.

"From you?" Merlin finally called back.

"Oh thank God. I thought you were deaf as well as dumb," the boy said in response. Only she and Gaius were allowed to call Merlin dumb. Adrielle turned around to face this man. She knew she should drag Merlin away but she couldn't.

"Look, I told you you were an arse. I just didn't realize you were a royal one," Merlin retorted, turning around to face him as well.

Adrielle looked from her brother to the blonde. A _royal_ one? The puzzle pieces suddenly started to come together. God, how could she have been so _stupid_? The boy she had seen earlier in the corridor, the same one that stood before her now, that was Arthur. _Prince _Arthur. The same one Merlin had stood up to. She couldn't begin to believe that she had risked a double take at this man. This _prince_! That she had blushed an embarrassingly deep shade of red in front of him. Of course he had been use to that sort of reaction. He was a prince and an extremely good looking one as well

_No! Stop it, Adrielle!_ She chastised herself. _You can't keep giving him the satisfaction of blushing whenever you see him and admitting he's _cute.

"Oh, what are you going to do? Got your daddy's men to protect you?" Adrielle had to give it to Merlin; he did know how to stand up to somebody. Regardless if he were a prince or not. He knew how to handle somebody. Despite the fact that he was the one who had picked on Adrielle the majority of the time, he had been there to defend her when she needed it.

"I could take you apart with one blow," Arthur chuckled.

"I could take you apart with less than that," Merlin said defiantly back.

"You sure?" Arthur said, continuing to mock him. She looked at Merlin, knowing what his next few movements would be.

"Merlin, don't," she said warningly. He stood still, mentally debating what to do. He disregarded his sister and took of his coat throwing it into her arms. Arthur and his men laughed.

"Here you go, big man," Arthur joked as he threw a mace at Merlin.

"Merlin. Seriously. You're going to get yourself killed or thrown back into jail. Let's just go," Adrielle continued, trying to drag him away. He shook off her grasp and picked up his mace.

"You should listen to your wife, _Mer_lin," Arthur said.

"_Sister_," Adrielle spat back.

"Oh, this one's got a pair of claws, too," Arthur said sarcastically. "I don't know which thought was more disturbing. That this idiot could marry a girl of your good looks or that you're both blood related."

Adrielle rolled her eyes. Typical behavior for a stuck up _prince_.

"Please, _sire_, you're embarrassing yourself," Adrielle snapped back. Arthur's cocky smiled faltered momentarily. This brother and sister pair, Merlin and whoever she was (he realized he had yet to learn her name), were something else. Most people respected him; whether it was because he deserved it or because of his title, he didn't bother to care. Even if they didn't they never, _never_, spoke up to him like these two had.

"I warn you," Arthur said once he regained his regal composure. "I've been training to kill since birth." He wanted to intimidate this boy. Show these two who was the alpha. He swung his mace around expertly.

"Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?" Merlin mocked. Arthur faltered again.

"You can't address me like that," he scoffed at the boy.

"I'm sorry. How long have you been training to be a prat, _my lord_?" Merlin mocked again, pretending to bow slightly. Adrielle had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, but she couldn't keep the cheeky grin away from her lips. Arthur pretended to laugh and suddenly took his first swing with his mace. Merlin and Adrielle ducked to avoid the mace from bashing into their skulls. The better side of her knew she should pull her brother away from the fight now, but if she did that it would look cowardly. The one thing Adrielle had vowed _never_ to do was appear cowardly. Merlin had stepped up and egged Arthur on into this fight. He needed to fight back.

She side stepped out of the invisible arena that Arthur and Merlin had created, but followed closely to the two as they moved. Their fight was made up mostly of Arthur's skilled advances on Merlin. Merlin was able to clumsily avoid the prince's blows. Although he didn't do too well at making himself look good. He managed to stumble a lot and get his mace stuck every now and then. Merlin dodged a blow but was thrown backwards off balance. He tumbled over a fruit stand and landed clumsily on the ground.

"You're in trouble now," Arthur teased, having an open chance at Merlin. Adrielle looked around quickly. She couldn't let Merlin get pulverized when there was a chance she could help. She noticed a pair of sickles, hooked swords, dangling from a stand directly behind Arthur. She quickly looked at the two weapons and moved the two so they formed a full circle. Her eyes flashed gold and the items moved at her will. Arthur's mace wrapped around the two catching him off guard. Merlin looked around suddenly before catching Adrielle's eye. She winked and nodded her head, telling him to get up while Arthur was indisposed. Merlin jumped back up ready to fight as Arthur continued to advance on him.

Hey, if Adrielle was allowed to use magic to help his odds, he could too, right? Merlin noticed a box off to the side, slightly in front of where Arthur was about to step. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the box slid out in front of his path discretely. Arthur took his next step stepping into the box, causing the lip to come back and smack him in the shin.

Arthur paused, briefly overcome by the pain shooting up his leg. Adrielle snorted under her breath, smirking at her brother's handy work. Quite a large group had formed around the two as they fought. Arthur regained himself and swung again at Merlin, a new fiery anger filling him. Merlin ducked and hid behind a cart, looking for something else to 'help' him. He spotted a pile of rope and moved it so it strung out tightly in front of Arthur. He tripped over it, just as Merlin had hoped, and landed on a sack ungracefully.

Merlin sprang up and started swinging his mace around like he was some sort of expert. "Do you want to give up?" he barked.

"To _you_?" Arthur shouted incredulously.

"_Do you_?" he repeated. Arthur stepped back and stumbled over a set of baskets. Adrielle laughed hysterically, but stopped suddenly when Gaius's stern and disapproving face appeared next to her. _Oh, shit. _

Merlin looked around victoriously. It seemed that he had the upper hand and had actually beaten this smarmy prince. He looked around for his sisters face. When he spotted her he saw her looking at the ground guiltily and Gaius standing next to her staring at him hard.

Arthur jumped up and took his chance, beating Merlin to the ground with a few hits of a broom. Adrielle pushed her way up through the crowd as two guards began to pick Merlin up, more than likely about to dump him into the dungeons _again_.

"Wait," Arthur ordered, waving the guards off. "Let him go. He may be an idiot but he's a brave one." Adrielle looked at the prince, slightly bewildered. She didn't take him as someone who would let things go so easily. Especially an incident like this. A foolish, young, insolent boy who openly mocked and challenged the prince, and disrespected him. She looked him over carefully, as if she could decipher his personality from the outside.

"There's something about you, Merlin. I can't quite put my finger on it," Arthur muttered, whether to Merlin or himself, before moving on. He stopped when he came to the raven haired girl he'd seen earlier in the corridors. For some reason he couldn't believe she was the same girl. She had seemed so innocent, so bashful back then. Now she looked like she wanted to bash his skull in with a mace herself. He looked her over, trying to mentally decipher how much she was actually like her brother.

"You might want to keep a better eye on your brother there-" he started, pausing in hopes of catching her name.

"Adrielle."

He was surprised. He hadn't expected such an eloquent and graceful name to belong to someone like her. She seemed gutsy, like her brother, and had a blatant disregard for the rules of society. There was something about her, too, Arthur noted mentally. He'd have to keep his eyes on this pair of siblings.

"Well, Adrielle. Until I catch your eyes again," he said before taking off. Adrielle brushed off the embarrassment she felt after being called out by _Prince_ Arthur and rushed back over to Merlin's side and helped him to his feet. Gaius rushed over and nearly grabbed the two by the scruff of their necks and dragged them back to their chambers.

"_How could you be so foolish?_" Gaius hollered at the two once they were in the privacy of their chambers.

"He needed to be taught a lesson," Merlin answered stiffly.

"Magic must be studied, mastered, and used for good! Not for idiotic pranks! I thought you were suppose to keep him out of trouble, _not egg him on and solidify him getting into trouble_!" Gaius continued, aiming his newest attack at Adrielle.

"What is there to master? We could move objects like that before we could talk!" Merlin countered.

"Well by now you should know how to control yourselves."

"I don't _want_ to! If I can't use magic then what have I got? I'm just a nobody. We're nobody's, Adrielle, and we always will be. If I can't use magic...I might as well die."

Merlin turned around dramatically and stormed up to their chambers. Adrielle sighed, the mood of the room suddenly turning sour. Gaius grabbed his medicine bag and followed the girl up the room. When they entered, Merlin was lying dejectedly on his bed. Adrielle brought a stool over and sat in front of her brother's bed.

"Merlin," Gaius said calmly, "sit up and take off your shirt. I'll need to clean your wounds." Merlin sighed heavily before sitting up, groaning a few times as he did. He pulled off his shirt carefully before turning to Gaius.

"You don't know why we were born like this, do you?"

Gaius paused before dabbing the damp cloth onto his cuts. "No."

"I'm not a monster, am I?" Merlin said, feigning humor.

"Don't ever think that," Gaius said honestly.

"Merlin, whatever we are, I don't believe we're monsters," Adrielle said softly, taking her brother's hand in hers.

"Then why are we like this? Please, I need to know why," Merlin said almost frantically, looking from his sister to Gaius.

"Maybe there's someone with more knowledge with me," Gaius spoke. Merlin sighed hard, displeased with the answer.

"If you can't tell me no one can," Merlin said bitterly, staring off into the distance. Gaius looked at the young boy before returning his attention to his medicine bag. He rummaged around a few seconds before handing Merlin a small glass.

"Here. It'll help with the pain."

Merlin pulled his hand from his sister's grasp, taking the glass from Gaius. He gulped it down in an instant before handing the glass back over. Gaius patted Merlin's leg comfortingly before departing.

Adrielle, again, wasn't sure to say to her brother to comfort him. All she could offer was a quick hug, careful of his cuts, and a reassuring squeeze of his hands.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Well helloooo guys! Here's the last part of The Dragon's Calling. Hope you enjoy! I haven't gotten a chance to write much lately, finals week and all. Bleh. But my last final is tomorrow and then I'm all yours until January! So bear with me on the updates :) There probably won't be much of a schedule. Whenever I finish an episode I'll probably upload a chapter and then whenever I feel like adding a part :) Anyway. Read on, have fun, and enjoy my lovelies! 3**_

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_The Dragon's Call: Part 3_

Merlin heard it again. It happened when he and Adrielle had lied down to sleep. A distant calling of his name. He hadn't told Adrielle or Gaius about it. He had heard it first the night he spent in the dungeons. He thought he had just been going crazy, but here it was again. This time not only did it call for him, it also called for his sister.

_Adrielle_. _Adrielle._

A soft but commanding voice called to her in her dreams.

"Merlin," she groaned as she rolled over in bed. "Shut up and go back to sleep."

Merlin looked over at her curiously "What?"

"Stop talking to me. I'm trying to sleep," she mumbled.

"I'm not doing anything," he said as he quickly got out of bed.

"Then what _are_ you doing?"

"You're hearing a voice call your name and I'm hearing one call mine. I'm going to investigate," Merlin whispered suddenly.

"What, no! No you can't," she said suddenly snapping awake. "Remember the talk we had earlier about _not_ getting into trouble. Sneaking out in the middle of the night goes completely against that."

"I'm going and you can't stop me. You'll just have to come with me if you want to keep me out of trouble," Merlin said quietly as he pulled on his boots. Adrielle moaned, recognizing the stubbornness in his voice. She pulled on her flats herself and pulled her coat on over her sleeping attire. She wore dresses during the day but preferred to stick with pants and tunics at night.

The pair crept down into the main room. Gaius snored soundly from his small cot. They tiptoed quietly across the floor, until Merlin knocked into a cup on the table and sent it crashing to the floor with a loud thunk. She looked horrified from her brother to Gaius's sleeping form. He wiped his chin and rolled over in bed, but remained asleep the whole time. She sighed gratefully and made her way to the door. She turned and waited for Merlin, who had used his magic to pull the covers back over Gaius.

Adrielle and her brother quietly snuck out of the castle as the followed the sound. The steady call of their names. They followed the voice across the courtyard and down into the dungeons. The paused at the top of the steps as they spotted two guards distractedly playing with a pair of dice. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and sent the dice flying away from the table. One of the guards got up and bent over in an attempt to pick them back up. Adrielle smirked and sent the dice flying further away with a flash of her eyes. Merlin looked over at her and smirked as well. They each took turns magically flinging the dice further and further away until the guards were long gone from them, frantically trying to catch the magical dice.

They quickly and quietly hurried down the remaining steps and grabbed an unlit torch. Merlin lit it before they continued down into the bowels of the city. The calls grew louder and more defined as they descended further down the stairs. The air grew colder around them, smelling old and moldy. Deeper and deeper they walked, until the tunnel let out onto a smell ledge. The ledge looked out into a great and treacherous cavern.

_There was one Uther decided to keep,_ Gaius's words rang through her ears. _No, _she thought. _It can't be. There can't be a _dragon_ down here._ The voice that had been calling them suddenly chuckled. Merlin and Adrielle looked at each other unsure. A powerful breeze suddenly filled the room, blowing their hair around. With a roar a great, giant, dragon landed on a perch of stalagmites in front of them.

"I'm here," it said. It was the same voice both Merlin and Adrielle had heard. The dragon itself was huge. Even in the dark its scales glistened like he was made of gold. Its yellow eyes blinked at the pair of twins a few times before speaking again. "How small you two are for such a great destiny."

"Destiny? What destiny? What do you mean?" Adrielle questioned. The dragon curled its wings in and moved to sit more comfortably on his perch.

"Your gifts, Merlin, Adrielle. They were given to you for a reason," he spoke wisely. Adrielle smiled. So there was a reason they were born this way.

"So there is a reason," Merlin said.

"Arthur is the once and future king who will unite the land of Albion."

"Right..." Merlin said, confused. _Oh great. Don't tell me our destinies have something to do with that pompous wompous. Please. Anyone _but_ Arthur Pendragon. _Anyone!

"But he faces many threats," the dragon continued, "from friend and foe alike.

"I don't see what this has to do with us."

"Everything," the dragon snapped back. "Without the two of you Arthur will never succeed. Without both of you, there will be no Albion."

"No," Merlin said in disbelief. "No you've got this wrong."

"There is no right and wrong. Only what is and what isn't."

"I'm serious! If anyone wants to kill him they can go ahead. I'll even give them a hand," Merlin retorted. The dragon simply laughed at him.

"None of us can choose our destinies and none of us can escape them," the dragon said stoically.

"No," Adrielle finally said, shaking her head. "No. This has to be wrong. There must be another Arthur because this one...this one's a complete idiot."

"Perhaps it is your destinies to change that, young sorcerers." The dragon finished and unfurled his wings. He took off and flew back into the depths of his cave. _I can't even keep my brother from getting into trouble_, Adrielle thought to herself. _How are we supposed to keep Arthur from getting killed without getting killed ourselves?_

~XX~

Gaius had found them help serving in the hall during the feast the following evening. Gaius was a member of the Council and a friend of the king's. Well, perhaps maybe a colleague, an ally. Uther didn't seem the one to really keep 'friends' around. Gaius was invited to these sorts of feasts and shindigs often. Horns went off, signaling the arrival of Uther and the other royals. Merlin and Adrielle followed Gaius into the hall, bowing appropriately as others passed them. Adrielle looked around and stopped when she saw Arthur joking around with some other men.

She couldn't believe it was their destiny to protect this arse. To help him rise to the throne and be a great king. Maybe there was some humble part of him, some respectable aspects that could be drawn out of him. If there were, they weren't that prevalent. It would take a lot of kicking and screaming to even find them. Getting him to act on them of his own accord and become a better person would be another story.

Arthur looked around the hall suddenly, noting that the girl, _Adrielle_, was standing off to the side. Next to her idiot brother and the court physician. His eyes looked her over once before he was pulled into the presence of the Lady Morgana. Adrielle hadn't had the pleasure of meeting her yet. Gwen told her she was rather nice compared to the other royals she had heard the maid servants gossip about. Morgana looked like a damn _goddess _as she walked into the hall.

Her dark, long, luscious curls were pulled up. A single strand hung delicately by her face. A simple red beaded cord was tied around her head. A golden halter piece hung around her neck and attached to her strapless dress. It was fabulous material; a deep, blood red colour it was. A golden belt of leaves hung off of her waist in a downward V. The sultry ensemble was finished with a small red jewel placed perfectly just under her eye. Merlin and Adrielle continue to watch, for different reasons, as Arthur approached the Lady and began to converse with her.

"She looks great doesn't she?" Gwen gushed as she appeared at their sides. "Some people are just born to be queen."

"No," Merlin said quickly. For what reason, Adrielle didn't know.

"I hope so," Gwen said sincerely. "One day. Not that I want to be her."

"Course not. Who'd want to marry Arthur," Adrielle said, faking a gag as she did.

"Oh come on. I thought you two liked those big rough, tough, kinds of men," Merlin joked.

"No, I like much more ordinary men like you," Gwen said.

"Believe me, he's not ordinary," Adrielle joked.

"No. No, I don't mean you, Merlin. Obviously," Gwen flushed. "Not _you._ I mean I like much more ordinary men..._like_ you."

"Uh...thanks." Merlin and Gwen looked at each other for a second before she hurried off. Merlin looked over to Adrielle, hoping she would hold some answers as to what had just occurred. Her response was a confused shrug. The horns sounded again, announcing the entrance of King Uther. The guests moved and took their respective tables. Adrielle and Merlin ended up on the far end of the hall, off to the side and behind the head table.

The King came swaggering in with all his glory. The guests who lined the sides of the hall bowed respectfully as he passed. He took his place at the head table, in the middle between Arthur and the Lady Morgana. He stood and spoke to the hall before taking his seat.

"We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom, and myself, many pleasures. Few can compare with the honor of introducing the Lady Helen, of Mora." He began clapping before taking his seat. The rest of the hall followed suit and clapped for the Lady as they took their seats for the show, too.

Lady Helen took her place on a stage directly across the hall from the royals. She wore a glamorous golden gown with light blue accents. She smiled to the crowd before beginning her performance. Her voice was beautiful. She sang a song in a language she'd never heard before but it didn't matter. Her singing voice transformed the words as she sung Adrielle felt as though she were being transported somewhere else. She was no longer in Camelot, she didn't know where she was but she was flying.

Suddenly, she felt tired. Extremely tired. Her breathing slowed down and her eyes drooped, heaving with all the worries of her day. She couldn't bear to stand here for much longer. She needed to sleep. Maybe if she just napped for a second. She could lean up against a pillar and no one would be the wiser.

She felt someone nudge her sharply from behind. She turned to see Merlin alert and frantic, holding his hands to his ears. She stared at him confused and drowsy. He quickly removed his hands and placed them over her ears. She quickly felt her sleepiness retreating from her, feeling like she could go days without sleeping. She suddenly understood as she replaced Merlin's hands with her own. The Lady Helen wasn't just singing a beautiful song; she was singing some sort of sleeping spell. An incantation. She looked around the hall as the now muffled sounds of Lady Helen's song continued.

The Lady had moved forward closing the distance between herself and the King. Her eyes were fixed almost crazily, not on Uther, but Arthur. Cobwebs had slowly begun forming on the sleeping individuals, the air decaying all around them. Her singing intensified and she slowly pulled out a dagger, still staring intently at Arthur.

That's when all the puzzle pieces suddenly hit her. The old crone they had seen at the execution. _An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A son for a son._ How she had done it, Adrielle didn't know, but the old lady had taken the appearance of the Lady Helen and was planning to exact her revenge. She was planning to kill Arthur.

Adrielle had to stop her. Without carefully thinking she looked up at the chandelier that the imposter Lady Helen now stood under. Adrielle's eyes flashed gold and the chain broke sending the heavy chandelier crashing to the floor. Lady Helen crumpled to the ground under the weight of the fixture, unconscious. The pair lowered their hands from their ears as the guests in the hall slowly began to wake. They glanced around the room and at each other confused. People brushed the cobwebs off of themselves. Merlin looked slowly from the chandelier to his sister, admiring her handy work.

Uther had woken up and was on his feet, looking wildly at the women under the chandelier. Her hair had faded and shriveled from black to silvery white. Her skin had shrunk and aged in mere seconds. The lady who lied on the ground was not the young and beautiful Lady Helen of Mora who stood there before. It was, in fact, Thomas James Collins's mother.

The guests whispered amongst each other as they pondered the situation before them. Arthur too stood, looking in disbelief at the woman. She stirred and propped herself up onto her hands. She grabbed the dagger and with a last burst of strength, chucked it at the young prince.

Adrielle could see the path it would take before it had come to pass. She watched it as it flew through the air towards Arthur. He just stood there and stared at it in horror. It would lodge itself in Arthur's chest before he could think to move. Merlin reacted before Adrielle could. He slowed time around the knife, and the entire hall, down and moved quickly. He pulled Arthur out of the way and the two fell to the floor. The knife plunged into the back of Arthur's chair.

The hall seemed to be frozen again. All eyes were locked onto the spot where Arthur had stood just a moment before. Adrielle hurried over to the two boys.

"Are you alright? Merlin? Arthur?" she asked quickly, her voice trembling. She couldn't keep the slight sense of fear out of her voice. Her adrenaline had been racing since the moment she realized Thomas's other was out for Arthur's blood.

Arthur stood, looking slightly taken aback at the boy who had just saved his life. It had been Merlin. The boy who had defied him, who had stood up to him, _twice_. He was the one who had saved his life. He looked from the boy to his sister whose face was riddled with fear and...concern? He couldn't be sure. Whatever had been there before flickered and died out, being replaced with only anger. Anger for unknowingly endangering her brother's life.

"You saved my boy's life," Uther said gratefully to Merlin. "A debt must be repaid."

Merlin looked at the ground suddenly embarrassed to be getting this much attention from the king. "No, no. That's not necessary," Merlin muttered.

"Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded," Uther continued.

"No honestly you don't have to your highness-"

"No absolutely! This merits something quite special." Merlin's face perked up slightly. "You shall be awarded a place in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant."

Adrielle had to bite her lip hard this time to avoid from making any inappropriate sounds. She played the smile that graced her face off as a kind one; that this was a kind and gracious gesture from the king, that Merlin's greatest dreams and wishes had just been granted. She smiled at the pair, both of whom seemed a little put off, and began clapping.

The rest of the evening dulled in comparison to the beginning of the feast. No one could stop talking about what had happened. The real Lady Helen was presumed dead. The guests also gossiped about the newcomer who had saved the Prince's life and been named his newest servant. The two men in question, however, sulked the majority of the evening. Neither of them, however, seemed overly enthusiastic with the news of the new arrangement.

Merlin was still sulking even after the feast. He sat in their shared room looking almost like he was in deep thought.

"Why do you look so down?" Adrielle questioned as she came in and took the seat next to him.

"Who says I look down?" he replied.

"Your face. Come on Merlin, you're a hero. You should be happy," she responded.

"I don't know if hero is quite the right word," Merlin joked. "Does he really deserve to be saved?"

"Maybe that's your job. To prove that he deserves to live," Adrielle offered. Merlin opened his mouth the speak when Gaius came walking in

"It seems that you're a hero," he said. Adrielle cocked her head at Merlin and breathed out a pointed laugh.

"Ha. I'm not the only one who thinks so," she joked.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it," he said to Gaius.

"No. I knew it from the moment I met the two of you. You both saved my life, remember," Gaius said. Of course, how could they forget? One does not simply forget the moment they used magic to save a man's life.

"But that was magic," Merlin said confused.

"Now it seems we've found a purpose for it." Merlin looked from his sister back to Gaius, hoping for him to go on. "I saw how you saved Arthur's life. Perhaps that's its purpose."

Merlin sighed heavily and muttered, "Our destiny."

"Whoa there, Merlin. You're the one who saved Arthur's life and gets all the glory. I'll save my magic and destiny for another prince," Adrielle replied.

"No. The dragon said it was _our _destinies to protect and save Arthur. I saw you. You're the one who reacted first; you're the one who dropped the chandelier onto the imposter. You saved him first," Merlin teased. "You _like_ him. _You fancy him_! Adrielle likes Prince Arthur!"

"Shut up, Merlin. I do not like him. I do _not fancy him_," she said defensively while shoving his shoulder. Merlin didn't listen to her and continued to tease and taunt her. She only responded with trying to down out his voice with her own protests.

"If you two are done behaving like children," Gaius called. He definitely was fitting into the parental role quite well, Adrielle thought. "I have something the both of you might like."

He unwrapped the book he had been holding in his hands and handed it to the two.

"This was given to me when I was your age," he said. "I have a feeling it will be of more use to you two now." The twins looked over the book and slowly began to read through it.

"But Gaius," Adrielle said suddenly. "This is a book of _magic_!"

"And that is why you must keep it hidden," he warned.

"We will study every word!" Merlin said excitedly. A knock at their chamber doors brought the three of them back.

"Merlin," a voice called. "Prince Arthur requires your presence." Adrielle chuckled at the look that appeared on Merlin's face.

"Seems like your destiny is calling, Merlin. Better go find out what it wants," Gaius smiled with a nod toward the door. Merlin took off leaving the book in Adrielle's grasp.

"Adrielle, I know you were also responsible for saving Arthur's live," Gaius said.

"No one knows though. They were all unconscious. Besides, it's not like I can claim responsibility for causing the chandelier to fall. No one would believe it to be true unless the use of magic was involved," Adrielle shrugged.

"I know that. You always seem to be the one to react first. Your reflexes are strong, perhaps stronger than a cat's," Gaius spoke.

"So it seems," she said. She could sense Gaius was going somewhere but she wasn't sure where.

"Perhaps those reflexes could be put to good use. Merlin was rewarded for his bravery today. I feel you should also be rewarded for your integrity."

"Thanks Gaius but I'd rather not be anybody's 'manservant'," she replied jokingly.

"What I'm offering you, if you'll take it, is a position. As my official apprentice. You won't get paid for it, but you'll be granted all the same privileges as me. Besides a spot on the Royal Council, that is. You don't have to take it, but it's yours if you want it," Gaius suggested humbly.

"What would that entail?" she asked, her voice a mix of excitement and curiosity.

"Well, you would study to follow in my footsteps. Follow me on my rounds and practice the art of medicine. It won't be easy, but it is an exciting and interesting field. Who knows, it might even be fun," Gaius said.

"I dunno, that still sounds like I'm being recruited as your manservant," Adrielle said sarcastically but smiled all the same. "Gaius, I'd be honored to be your apprentice."


End file.
